SINAPSE Image of the Month: TSPO PET Radiotracer

April 2018 SINAPSE Image of the Month

Courtesy of Dr Adriana Tavares, this image shows PET signal measured in heart using a new radiotracer for imaging cardiovascular inflammation. Targeting the 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO), this is the first fluorinated TSPO PET radiotracer with binding to human tissue independent from the rs6971 genetic polymorphism.

An important property of the new TSPO PET radiotracer is its selectivity for imaging inflammation, as shown below: the signal measured in heart is reduced from before (left) to after (right) administration of PK11195, a selective TSPO drug.